“A billiard table?”
Miss Newton’s query brought him back to the present. He headed toward the cues that were hanging up on a rack along the side of the wall. He took one down and handed it to her. “Do you play?”
She accepted the cue. “I can’t say that I have. Weaver’s daughters generally don’t make a habit of engaging in such frivolous activities.”
He offered a smirk as he gathered his own cue. “Fair point.” He arranged the colored billiard balls in the rack in the middleof the table and carefully removed it. “Watch my stance. I am going to make the break shot and then we can commence with the instruction.”
Elwood positioned the cue between his thumb and forefinger and ensured that his arm was perpendicular to the stick. Bending forward slightly, he kept his grip relaxed, but firm, as he set up the beginning shot. The satisfying crack of the balls splitting apart and rolling across the top of the table was a sound that he would never tire of hearing.
He smiled as he looked over at Miss Newton. “Your turn.”
She looked a bit hesitant, but she moved forward. She stared at the balls that were scattered and said, “How do I know what to aim for?”
He explained briefly, that the white cue ball needed to strike the red one and make it into one of the six pockets around the table. “If you do that, you get the chance to shoot again. If not, then it is my shot.”
“Seems easy enough,” she muttered, and then attempted to mimic his earlier pose.
Elwood had to stop from chuckling as she held the cue a bit too high. “Is this right?” she asked.
“Er… not quite.” He didn’t want to be too critical of her, because something told him that she would make a worthy opponent once she understood the rules. “Let me help you.”
Standing behind her, he put his hands on her shoulders and positioned her, and then he took the cue and whispered in her ear as he moved it into the proper place. “That’s it. No, loosen your grip a bit more.” He tried to keep his attention strictly on the match, but by the time she was ready to shoot, he was practically holding her. With her enticing backside brushing against his trousers, he feared he might be forced to break his earlier code of conduct.
He closed his eyes and prayed for fortitude as she took a slight breath. “Now?”
He swallowed. “Yes.”
She slowly drew back, and with his assistance, she gained enough momentum to send the cue ball rolling toward the red one. With a satisfying crack, it sailed toward the farthest pocket and dropped right inside.
“I did it!”
As she straightened and turned to him, he realized that he was close enough to see the sparkle in her gaze. Combined with the broad smile of victory on her face, it was a heady combination. “Indeed, you did.”
She swallowed and then adjusted her statement. “I supposewedid it, since you were kind enough to assist.”
He lifted a brow. With her pinned between him and the table, it would be so easy to coerce another kiss… “Kind? That’s the second time you’ve called me that. Does that mean you’ve altered your opinion of me?”
She narrowed her gaze. Perhaps she heard the husky note to his voice. “Not just yet.”
He leaned toward her and he had to applaud her fortitude when she held her ground. “Perhaps I shall just condemn myself for good.” As his gaze fell to her lips, he waited for her to object or push him away.
She did neither.
CHAPTER 6
What am I doing?Meliah’s conscience was screaming at her. Hadn’t she just threatened to leave if the earl didn’t curb his impulses? And yet, she couldn’t very well criticize him for his behavior when she was allowing it to continue.
If she was honest with herself, she was already well aware of the sort of man that Lord Belmont was. She could write an article about the last few hours and it would be enough to prove ‘The Belle’s’ accusations, under the belief that there was nothing left to save. So why was she staying? She wanted to attribute it to the fact that she had no way to return unless it was on foot, but that wasn’t all. She would have to leave Lord Belmont behind and his presence was quite… exhilarating.
She had always been sheltered, forced to spend her days toiling to make ends meet. Perhaps for the first time in her life she wanted to be selfish and live the life she’d always imagined, the fairy tale for however long it lasted. Not only was the earl rather handsome, but she enjoyed the attentions that he was showering upon her. Was that so terrible—to feel wanted by such a man?
Although she didn’t intend to give herself fully to him, surely there couldn’t be any harm in a slight flirtation? He had told her that he would never force himself on any woman, and not just because he’d boasted that there was no need. It was true she didn’t know him that well, but her instincts told her that he was being sincere.
And the slight kisses he’d given her before had merely intrigued her. Surely another small demonstration wouldn’t be amiss?
As he slowly lowered his head, Meliah reached back and grasped the table’s edge. Curling her hands around the hard wood, she closed her eyes as their lips met for the third time.
Again, the embrace wasn’t hurried. It was as if he were trying to ensure that his actions weren’t prohibited. She hardly dared to take a breath as he continued to explore her mouth, but when he ran the tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips, she gasped in surprise. When he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, she decided that perhaps that was enough.
